Egypt to promote tourism during World Cup in Qatar

The decision to promote tourism across popular destinations in Egypt was an initiative of the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Activation in partnership with major air carriers, in order to increase travel demand for the cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh at the time of the widely anticipated event.

Football fans are this time targeted by the offers during the FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar from November 20 to December 18.

According to an official announcement by the Chamber of Hotel Establishments in Egypt, direct flights from Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh to Doha will be available for the people aiming to attend the games. Moreover, owners of a Haya card will also receive a 10 per cent discount for accommodation.

Ahmed Amer, researcher at the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, commented:

“Egypt can leverage the World Cup in Qatar with attractive offers by tourism companies targeting football fans. This can be done through discounts on hotel stay fees in the cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, as ideal transit destinations for fans, and through reduced airline ticket prices. [...]

“Fans would be offered transportation from Egypt to Qatar to watch the matches they want and then return again to their vacation in Egypt.”

Kamel Abu-Ali, head of the Red Sea Tourism Investment Association, added:

“[…] fans from all over the world must be encouraged to stay in Egyptian resorts and travel to Doha via charter flights to watch the matches and then return again to their stay in Egypt.”

The perspective is also shared by Egypt’s Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ghada Shalaby, who also believes that the FIFA World Cup is the perfect opportunity to encourage football fans to visit Egypt during their stay.

With the occasion of this year’s event, similar tourism promotion campaigns have been launched by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, as well as Oman.

 

Source: al-monitor.com